FOUR  DAYS 
AT  CHICAGO 


By  R.  BEVERLY  EGGLESTON 


977.3 

Z.99A 

r\o.3 


Four  Days  at  Chicago 


Descriptive  and  Historical 


R.  BEVERLY  EGGLESTON 


Pastor  of  the  Third  Presbyterian  Church 
Richmond,  Virginia 


RICHMOND,  VIRGINIA 
Whittet  & Shepperson,  Printers 
Nineteen  Hundred  and  One 


z. 

PREFACE 

This  booklet  sets  forth  those  things  that  came 
under  the  vision  of  the  author  at  the  World’s  Fair. 
It  is  historical  and  religious  in  part,  but  mainly 
descriptive.  The  aim  has  been  to  write  with 
accuracy  an  account  of  a four-days’  pleasure  trip, 
to  take  the  readers  on  this  trip,  to  make  them  see 
much  that  is  worth  seeing  in  a limited  time,  and  to 
bring  them  back  home  with  a feeling  that  the  trip 
was  worth  the  time  spent  in  making  it. 

The  Rev.  Jere  Witherspoon,  D.  D.,  pastor  of 
Grace  Street  Presbyterian  Church,  Richmond,  Va., 
has  this  to  say : “The  Rev.  R.  B.  Eggleston  has, 
after  eight  years,  attempted  in  these  pages  to  tell 
the  story  of  four  days’  experiences  in  the  ‘White 
City,’  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Michigan.  He  has 
done  his  work  with  ability,  a high  degree  of 
literary  skill.  His  success  in  his  undertaking  is 
enhanced  by  the  difficulty  of  reproducing  in  a fresh 
and  readable  form  the  impressions  of  those  distant 

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T25512 


PREFACE 


days.  Many  a visitor  to  the  great  Chicago  Expo- 
sition in  1893,  and  numbers  who  were  denied  that 
pleasure,  will  peruse  this  little  volume  with  profit, 
and  close  it  when  the  graphic  recital  ends  with 
sincere  gratitude  to  the  author.” 

Rev.  M.  Ashl)y  Jones,  D.  D.,  pastor  of  Leigh 
Street  Baptist  Church,  Richmond,  Va.,  says:  “Mr. 
Eggleston  is  a very  accomplished  guide  through 
the  beautiful  and  interesting  sights  in  Jackson 
Park.  The  White  City,  which  appeared  and  disap- 
peared like  magic,  is  builded  once  more  beside  the 
beautiful  lake  as  you  read  this  little  book.  Those 
who  were  so  unfortunate  as  not  to  visit  the  great 
Exposition  will  find  a compensation  in  this  descrip- 
tion, and  those  who  did  enjoy  its  attractions  will  be 
charmed  with  this  review.  How  often  we  long  to 
recall  that  which  is  gone ! One  who  does  it  for  us 
so  pleasantly  certainly  deserves  our  gratitude.” 

Rev.  Russel  Cecil,  D.  D.,  pastor  of  the  Second 
Presbyterian  Church,  Richmond,  Va.,  speaks  thus: 
“Mr.  Eggleston  has  succeeded  in  a vivid  and 
pleasing  way  in  reproducing,  for  the  mental  pleas- 
ure of  his  readers,  many  interesting  things  which 


4 


PREFACE 


were  seen  in  Chicago  in  the  year  1893.  Those  who 
enjoyed  the  privilege  of  visiting  the  great  Colum- 
bian Exposition  will  live  over  their  experiences  in 
reading  these  pages,  and  will  be  grateful  to  the 
author  for  preserving  them  in  such  attractive, 
permanent  form.  He  has  ingeniously  interlarded 
his  narrative  with  anecdote,  incident  and  bits  of 
history,  which  add  not  a little  to  the  entertaining 
and  instructive  character  of  the  story.  The  descrip- 
tion of  the  sermon  by  Dr.  John  Hall  is  deeply 
impressive.” 


5 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2015 


https://archive.org/details/fourdaysatchicag01eggl 


CONTENTS 


Page 

Introduction 9 

CHAPTER  I 

Natural  History  Exhibit — Archaeological  Display — Agri- 
cultural Products — Midway  Plaisance,  etc 14 

CHAPTER  II 

Midway  Plaisance  (continued) — Wax  Works — Graven 
Images — The  Guillotine — Marie  Antoinette — Hagen- 
beck’s  Wild  Animal  Exhibit — Irish  Village — Trans- 
portation Building,  etc 29 

CHAPTER  HI 

Mining  Building — Amalgamating  Machine — Electricity 
Display — Manufacturing  Building — Work  of  Those 
Devoid  of  Vision — Woman’s  Building  and  Buffalo 
Bill’s  Wild  West  40 

CHAPTER  IV 

The  Art  Exhibit — “Bringing  Home  the  Bride” — “A 
British  Funeral” — “Rent  Day” — “The  Flagellants” — • 
“Breaking  Home  Ties” — The  Central  Music  Hall — • 
Moody — The  New  York  Preacher — The  Return 
Home 52 


7 


Four  Days  at  Chicago 

INTRODUCTION 

HE  writer  of  this  little  book  did  not 
contemplate  its  publication.  At  the  time 
of  his  visit  to  Chicago,  in  October,  1893, 
he  wrote  out  a few  notes  on  what  he 
saw,  simply  for  his  own  pleasure  and  the  perusal 
of  a few  friends  who  did  not  have  the  opportunity 
of  attending  the  World’s  Fair.  Before  going  to 
the  AA^orld’s  Fair  he  had  seen  many  people  who  had 
been  there.  Some  of  them  were  asked  this  ques- 
tion, “AAdiat  did  you  see  that  you  liked  most?”  and 
the  repl}^  was  nearly  always,  ‘T  saw  so  many  won- 
derful things  I hardly  know  what  I liked  most,  and 
everything  is  so  confused  in  my  mind  I hardly 
know  now  what  I did  see.” 

So,  fearing  that  he  might  come  back  with  the 
same  answer  (which  undoubtedly  would  have  been 
the  case  had  he  not  purchased  a pencil  and  blank 
book),  he  took  notes  on  entering  the  Fair  Grounds 
from  day  to  day,  jotting  down  many  things  of 


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FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


interest,  and  on  his  I'etnrn  to  Virginia,  the  notes 
were  fully  written  outy  covered  with  brown  paper, 
and  sewed  together  for  preservation.  For  some 
weeks,  after  they  were  gotten  in  readable  shape, 
they  passed  from  friend  to  friend,  and  not  a few 
of  them  urged  that  they  he  published.  Whatever 
of  pleasing  comment  they  have  merited  has  been 
gratefully  received,  and  the  modest  little  manu- 
script goes  to  press  at  this  late  day  with  a threefold 
object  in  view:  first,  with  the  hope  of  refreshing 
the  memories  of  those  who  went  to  Chicago  in 
1893;  second,  of  bringing  once  more  before  the 
minds  of  those  who  did  not  go  some  of  the  won- 
derful things  that  were  there  at  that  time;  and  last, 
hut  not  least,  to  aid  by  its  sale  in  printed  form,  a 
most  worthy  enterprise  undertaken  by  the  zealous 
and  devoted  people  whom  the  writer  serves  and 
loves. 

At  the  time  of  this  writing  - — October,  1893  — 
it  is  recalled  that  there  have  been  within  the  recol- 
lection of  a man  of  sixty  years  of  age,  four  great 
exhibitions  of  the  wonders  of  nature  and  the  handi- 
work of  man:  one  in  Paris,  France;  one  in 

Glasgow,  Scotland ; a third  in  Philadelphia,  Penn. ; 
and  a fourth  at  Chicago,  111.  The  last  named  is 
said  to  be  the  greatest  which  has  ever  taken  place 
in  the  history  of  man.  Certainly,  as  far  as  splendor 


10 


INTRODUCTION 


and  magnitude  are  concerned,  no  human  eye  has 
ever  seen  the  like  of  what  was  seen  at  the  World’s 
Fair. 

One  heard  there  the  “confusion  of  tongues,”  as 
representatives  from  every  nation  on  the  glohe  were 
exchanging  words  at  the  same  time.  Tlie  “Tower 
of  Babel”  was  in  the  heart  of  many  men  and 
Avomen  who  were  seeking  to  make  for  themselves  a 
name  in  preference  to  all  else. 

Kingl}^  palaces  of  the  purest  white  stood  in  all 
their  glory  as  recipients  of  silent  homage  from  the 
beautiful  placid  waters  of  that  splendid  lake,  whose 
inviting  shore  was  embellished  by  their  command- 
ing presence  as  well  as  by  temporary  landmarks 
gracefully  distinguishing  that  magic  city  from 
many  sister  cities  of  other  States. 

The  poAver  of  God,  Avho  created  the  heavens 
and  the  earth,  as  Avell  as  the  ingenuity  of  man 
“fearfully  and  AA^onderfully  made,”  so  blended  in 
the  situation  of  Chicago  and  the  mechanism  of  the 
buildings  on  the  Fair  Grounds,  as  to  render  that 
city  most  suitable  in  every  particular  for  unfolding 
Avithin  her  far-reaching  borders  both  the  products 
of  the  omnipotent  hand  of  nature’s  Architect  and 
Builder  and  the  inr^entions  Avrought  out  by  the 
brain  and  skill  of  man. 

Beautiful  for  situation  is  the  “White  City” 


II 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


upon  the  bank  of  the  blue  waters  of  Lake  Michigan. 
Handsome  and  substantial  were  the  immense 
World’s  Fair  State  and  National  buildings,  whose 
exterior  and  interior  walls  were  ornamented  with 
the  most  delicate  touches  of  earth’s  architects. 
Since  there  was  no  stint  of  either  pains  or  means 
in  the  construction  of  those  buildings,  we  are  not 
surprised  when  we  read  of  their  beauty,  but  one 
was  surprised  when  one  reached  the  Fair  Grounds, 
and  with  uplifted  eye  and  soul  realized  that  they 
exceeded  anything  “ever  dreamed  of  in  his 
philosophy.” 

Honor  to  whom  honor  is  due!  To  man  alone 
is  not  accorded  the  credit  of  proper  preliminary 
arrangements,  nor  the  subsequent  success  of  the 
Exposition,  for  traces  of  the  beautiful  found  in 
woman’s  mind  and  executed  by  woman’s  hand  were 
seen  in  many  buildings,  adding  refinement  to 
strength  and  grace  to  the  substantial. 

Indeed,  can  we  not  right  here  go  so  far  as  to 
reiterate  the  much-quoted  statement  that  “the  hand 
that  rocks  the  cradle  rules  the  world.”  How  often 
is  woman  “the  power  behind  the  throne.”  Surely 
we  must  admit  that  primarily  as  mothers  of  men 
and  nations,  and  then  as  promoters  and  advocates 
of  the  good  and  the  beautiful,  women  play  a most 
conspicuous  and  most  important  part  in  the  attrac- 


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INTRODUCTION 


tive  drama  of  general  life,  as  well  as  in  the  charm- 
ing history  of  great  events. 

The  splendid  taste,  skill,  means  and  methods 
of  the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  dust,  wonderfully 
united  to  give  to  the  pages  of  history  for  permanent 
record  the  greatest  event  of  modern  times.  If  one 
star  differeth  from  another  star  in  glory,  the  one 
event  that  outshines  every  other  similar  event  is 
the  one  that  was  flung  upon  the  world  in  honor  of 
Christopher  Columbus. 


13 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


CHAPTER  I 
First  Day 

N attempt  to  relate  that  which  is  most 
interesting-  as  it  came  under  one’s  vision 
at  tlie  World’s  Fair  is  similar  to  an 
effort  to  select  from  a bed  of  diamonds 
the  most  beautiful  of  them ; it  is  a matter  of  great 
difficulty — even  of  the  greatest  difficulty.  Like  the 
enthused  woman,  we  might  say  “everything  was 
most  interesting.’’ 

Nothing  was  too  insignificant  to  be  devoid  of 
interest.  Each  succeeding  object  of  interest  so 
grappled  the  attention,  that  for  the  time  it  was 
the  most  interesting.  The  writer,  however,  will 
he  satisfied,  after  he  mentions  the  many  interest- 
ing things,  if  the  readers  will  select  for  themselves 
the  objects  that  most  forcibly  impress  them. 

Go  with  me  first  upon  the  Intra-mural  (intra — ■ 
within,  and  mums  — wall)  railway,  which  was  an 
elevated  electric  line  that  ran  within  the  Fair 
Ground  limits,  but  all  around  the  buildings.  From 
this  railway  one  got  a bird’s-eye  view  of  the  whole 


14 


FIRST  DAY 


situation,  an  excellent  idea  of  both  the  buildings 
and  grounds,  as  well  as  a pleasing  and  refreshing 
sight  of  Lake  Michigan. 

He  who  did  this  much  did  well ; he  had  made 
a good  beginning,  as  everybody  made  it  his  first 
duty  to  travel  in  that  circumference  of  some  eight 
or  ten  miles,  and  while  wheeling  around  decide 
what  building  to  enter  first.  No  mistake  could 
be  made  in  entering  first  any  special  building,  as 
all  were  special  buildings  containing  objects  of 
great  interest  and  permanent  value. 

It  was  my  lot  to  enter  first  after  a ride  the 
building  of  Natural  History.  There  one  saw  a 
specimen  of  every  thing  that  had  the  impress  of 
nature  upon  it,  any  and  everything  nature  had 
^ produced.  Look  at  the  skeletons  of  men  and 
women,  apes  and  monke}^s,  and  insects  of  every 
class  and  description,  in  magnified  forms,  embel- 
lished by  the  hand  of  man,  making  prominent  the 
muscles,  veins,  ligaments,  nerves  and  sinews,  that 
their  composition  might  be  more  clearly  seen  and 
more  perfectly  understood.  If  these  representations 
of  what  a bug,  as  well  as  a man,  is  made  of  could 
be  had  in  all  schools,  the  children  and  youth  would 
more  clearly  understand  physiology  and  natural 
history,  and  besides  receive  an  incentive  in  such 
lines  of  work  that  would  not  accrue  without  them. 


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FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


The  object  of  greatest  magnitude  in  the 
Natural  History  building  was  the  Mastodon  ele- 
phant — now  extinct  — the  largest  animal  ever  on 
the  globe.  Suspended  from  the  ceiling  was  the 
devil  fish,  with  hundreds  of  mouths. 

Let  the  eye  pass  to  the  buffalo,  elk,  sea-lion, 
antelope,  baboon,  giraffe,  lizard,  terrapin,  ducks, 
birds,  the  ostrich  being  the  largest;  the  pelican, 
opossum,  lynx,  deer,  mountain  lion,  and  panther — 
all  of  which  were  mounted  and  arranged  in  certain 
places  where  they  would  show  to  the  best  advan- 
tage. Without  close  inspection  ’twould  indeed  be 
hard  to  tell  that  those  were  not  living  animals. 

The  Stamp  Exhibit,  connected  with  that  of  old 
coins,  hundreds  and  hundreds  of  them,  together 
with  specimens  of  paper  money  from  all  parts  of 
the  world,  was  pleasing.  Old-fashioned  weapons 
of  warfare — cannon,  guns,  tomahawks — by  the 
side  of  which  were  Indian  skulls  from  North 
America — very  close  companions,  tomahawk  and 
skull.  These  things  held  the  attention  of  many 
people  many  minutes. 

Pennsylvania  came  up  well  with  her  grand  dis- 
play of  birds  and  animals  of  every  description, 
while  Ontario  showed  her  beavers  and  elephants, 
that  is,  their  skeletons,  of  tremendous  size ; while 
little  Costa  Rica,  in  her  humility,  modestly  pre- 

i6 


FIRST  DAY 


sented  her  pots,  jars  and  tubs,  believing  that,  how- 
ever humble,  Diogenes  was  right  when  he  said 
every  tub  must  stand  on  its  own  bottom. 

The  Archjeological  display  of  images  of 
heathen  architecture,  to  which  .are  rendered  in 
some  parts  of  the  world  devout  homage  and  praise, 
as  if  divine,  was  of  deep  interest.  The  images  of 
Buddha,  Apis  and  frogs  were  the  three  on  exhibi- 
tion to  which  had  been  given  the  greatest  promi- 
nence. 

The  Aborigines  of  Australia,  together  with 
many  pictures  of  that  country,  were  conspicuous. 
The  above  objects  meagerly  described,  with  many 
others  seen,  and  many  others  not  seen,  were  in  the 
Natural  History  Building.  Take  off  your  hat, 
make  your  bow,  and  take  leave  of  this  net-work  of 
wonders.  Go  out,  and  on  your  way  to  another 
building  keep  open  your  eyes  and  notice  the  various 
tents  of  different  kinds  kept  by  different  people  of 
different  nations  of  the  bartering  world. 

On  one  side  of  the  street,  in  passing,  was 
noticed  a unique  tent  presided  over  by  Aztecs,  of 
I Mexico,  exhibiting  rocks  and  stones  of  their  coun- 
try. A little  further  on  the  eye  fell  on  a tent  kept 
by  people  from  Tunis,  North  Africa.  They  were 
selling  rugs  of  peculiar  make,  articles  of  jewelry, 
brass,  silver,  aluminum  (lightest  metal  known), 


17 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


oxidized  silver  bracelets,  cuff-buttons,  and  every 
little  article  that  a North  y\frican  believed  would 
please  souvenir  hunters  and  souvenir  buyers. 

Hard  by  stood  the  ruins  of  Yucatan  side  by  side 
with  tents  of  Omaha  Indians  with  their  display  of 
unpolished,  yet  excellent  handiwork.  Towering 
above,  and  in  the  midst  of  these  tents  were  immense 
columns  of  wood,  with  carved  representations  of 
different  objects  of  worship. 

Enter  the  Dairy  Building  as  the  second  house 
of  interest,  stay  for  several  minutes,  and  view 
hastily  (as  ’tisn’t  yet  dinner-time)  the  butter  and 
cheese  exhibit,  together  with  the  instruments  and 
utensils  used  in  the  manufacture  of  these;  receive 
brief  instructions  from  the  lady  manager  as  to  the 
most  profitable  way  of  managing  the  contents  of 
the  milk  pail,  then  pass  out  of  one  of  the  many 
doors,  and  enter  the  Leather  and  Shoe  Building. 
No  one  would  ever  dream  that  as  many  animals 
were  in  existence  as  were  represented  by  the  tanned 
and  untanned  skins  and  hides  found  in  this  attrac- 
tive building. 

The  man  who  wears  shoes  thinks  that  he  has 
two  hides  on  his  foot — his  own  and  that  of  some 
other  animal ; but  he  is  surprised  when  told  that 
there  is  the  possibility  of  his  wearing  shoes,  from 
time  to  time,  made  of  the  skins  of  numerous  quad- 

18 


FIRST  DAY 


rupeds  and  creeping  things  of  which  he  has  never 
dreamed.  The  skins  of  every  animal  on  the  globe, 
and  especially  those  properly  prepared  for  the  man- 
ufacture of  foot  apparel,  were  objects  of  no  small 
value.  Look  at  the  show  cases  in  one  side  of  this 
immense  room,  and  see  attractive  pictures  of  every 
style  and  kind  of  shoe  as  worn  by  people  in  the 
civilized  and  uncivilized  parts  of  the  world;  and, 
better  still,  go  a little  further  down  in  the  building, 
and  let  the  eye  rest  on  the  real  shoes  represented 
by  the  pictures.  These  shoes  were  nicely  arranged 
in  narrow  glass  cases  that  extended  almost  from 
one  end  of  the  building  to  the  other.  There  were 
the  shoes  of  all  classes  and  grades  of  people,  from 
the  rough  shoe  of  the  laboring  man  on  up  to  that 
of  the  king  and  queen  in  royal  dress  ; Greek  shoes, 
Turkish  shoes,  Oriental  shoes,  shoes  from  Asia, 
Corea,  L^ruguay,  China,  Russia,  Australia,  Spain, 
Egypt,  India,  Lapland,  America,  and  from  Africa, 
the  last  named  being  made  of  turtle  claws. 

To  one  who  had  never  seen  the  rapid  manufac- 
ture of  a shoe,  it  was  worth  his  time  of  a half  an 
hour  or  more  to  stand  in  another  part  of  this  build- 
ing, and  watch,  with  intense  interest,  the  making 
of  a shoe  from  start  to  finish.  Men  and  women 
were  working  on  them ; there  was  the  leather  to 
begin  with  just  as  it  came  from  the  tannery.  It  was 


19 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


cut  out  in  proper  shape  and  size ; the  lining  was  cut 
to  match ; the  holes  were  punched  for  the  strings ; 
the  lining  and  upper  leather  were  sewed  together ; 
the  sole,  having  been  properly  shaped,  was  ad- 
justed to  the  tops,  etc.,  each  man  and  woman  doing 
his  and  her  part,  so  when  one  part  was  finished  by 
one  workman,  it  was  passed  down  the  line  to  an- 
other ; so  it  went,  until  finally,  after  a short  time 
of  rapid  work,  the  shoe  came  out  ready  for  use. 

Apropos  of  shoe-making,  let  it  be  said  that 
very  few  visitors  to  this  building  failed  to  look  up 
to  see,  elevated  about  ten  feet,  in  the  west  side  of 
the  room,  a burlescpie  wax  advertisement  of  an  old 
shoe-maker,  run  by  machinery  underneath. 

The  old  man  sat  with  the  shoe  on  his  knee,  and 
a needle  in  his  hand,  pulling  the  thread  through  the 
sole,  and  apparently  talking  to  his  customer  in  front 
of  him  while  mending  the  shoe.  His  head  was  in 
constant  motion,  and  his  eyes  went  from  right  to 
left  and  up  and  down  in  obedience  to  the  move- 
ments of  the  machinery  that  controlled  him.  All 
were  struck  wdth  the  “old  fellow,”  and  in  passing 
didn’t  fail  to  give  him  a smile,  which,  of  course,  he 
appreciated. 

The  display  of  thread,  and  wax,  and  rubber 
shoes  was  most  excellent.  One  rubber  shoe  was 
so  large  as  to  extort  this  remark  from  a looker-on. 


20 


FIRST  DAY 


“That  shoe  must  have  been  worn  by  David’s  oppo- 
nent, viz.,  Goliath  of  Gath.”  It  was  enormous,  and 
a good  advertisement  of  the  size  of  the  firm  that 
dealt  in  such  material. 

On  the  first  floor  of  this  building  one  was  struck 
with  the  genius  of  an  advertiser,  as  seen  in  two 
immense  stuffed  cows,  very  life-like  in  appearance, 
while  on  the  second  floor,  just  at  the  top  of  the 
steps,  on  either  side,  stood  an  immense  white  statue 
of  the  same  animal.  How  appropriate  for  a shoe 
and  leather  building,  as  the  skin  of  a cow  flnds  its 
way  into  the  shoe  of  the  man,  and  to  dispense  with 
that  animal  would  mean  dispensing  with  shoes 
made  of  the  very  best  material.  Would  that  time 
and  memory  were  sufficient  to  enable  the  writer  to 
tell  with  accuracy  of  everything  that  he  saw  in  this 
magnificent  department. 

In  passing  out  of  this  splendid  white  structure, 
and  going  westward,  you  are  charmed  on  catching 
a glimpse  of  Lake  Michigan,  its  waters  reflecting 
the  color  of  the  blue  canop}^  of  the  heavens,  and 
carrying  upon  its  bosom  ships  of  war,  as  well  as 
vessels  containing  the  commercial  stores  of  the 
world. 

When  tired  of  looking  at  the  lake,  all  that  one 
had  to  do  in  order  to  change  the  scene  was  to  gather 
his  thoughts  and  use  his  will  sufficiently  to  walk  a 


21 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


few  yards  and  step  into  a third  building,  rustic  in 
its  appearance,  and  designedly  so,  because  of  its 
contents — it  was  called  The  Forestry  Building.  In 
this  were  found  all  kinds  of  wood  from  the  forests 
of  the  world.  Some  specimens  were  in  the  rough 
state,  and  others  were  refined  by  the  mechanic’s 
plane,  and  beautified  by  the  painter’s  brush.  There 
was  wood ! Avood ! ! wood  ! ! ! 

Germany  had  forwarded  samples  from  her  for- 
ests ; so  had  the  y\rgentine  Republic  and  Paraguay, 
Brazil,  France,  and  the  United  States,  notably 
California,  who  is  proud  of  her  rich  and  varied  and 
wonderful  forests.  From  Old  Virginia,  the  State 
that  never  despises  the  “day  of  small  things,”  there 
came  for  exhibit  three  jars  of  sumac  (called  by  the 
Southern  negro  “shumake”).  One  jar  contained 
the  leaves,  another  the  stems,  and  a third  the  pow- 
dered sumac.  It  may  sound  like  a “Texas  yarn”  to 
tell  of  the  size  of  an  Oregon  tree  known  as  the 
Orcgon-tide-land-spriice.  A placard  was  tacked  on 
the  side  of  the  exhibited  trunk  with  the  wording, 
“This  tree  when  standing  in  the  forest  measured 
sixteen  feet  in  diameter,  was  three  hundred  and  five 
feet  high,  is  three  hundred  years  old,  and  when  cut 
down  and  sawed,  yielded  one  hundred  and  eighty 
thousand  feet  of  lumber.”  Those  who  saw  the 
trunk  specimen  were  ready  to  give  credence  to  the 


22 


FIRST  DAY 


abo^•e  specifications,  while  those  at  a distance  sim- 
ply reading  of  it  would  accept  it  as  they  would  a 
“Texas  yarn.” 

]\'Iichigan  had  an  exhibit ; among  other  valuable 
things,  a sample  of  alcohol  resembling  rye  whiskey 
in  color,  and  made  from  the  sap  of  Michigan  trees. 
Of  course,  there  were  innumerable  things  in  this 
great  house  that  I haven't  touched  rvith  pen. 

My  thirdly  in  the  list  of  the  contents  of  national 
buildings  has  been  meagerly  developed,  though 
sufficiently  so  to  give  the  reader  some  idea  of  the 
great  forestry  exhibit. 

Let  us  change  a little  our  plan  of  sight-seeing, 
with  perfect  libert}'-  to  return  to  the  old  plan  of 
visiting  national  buildings  when  thought  desirable. 

The  different  individual  States  had  their  ex- 
hibits. North  Carolina,  with  her  pitch  and  tar,  her 
pine  and  cotton,  her  frnits  and  flowers  exhibit,  is 
heartily  congratulated,  as  she  has  no  reason  to  be 
ashamed  of  what  she  is  and  what  she  has.  It  is 
predicted  that  in  the  near  future  the  “tar-heel” 
State,  already  alive  to  her  possibilities,  will  become 
one  of  the  leading  States  in  products  of  field  and 
forest. 

In  an  Indian  tent  nearby  we  saw  a living  object 
of  curiosity,  and  that  was  a very  old  and  feeble 
Indian  of  the  purest  blood  and  the  most  decided 


23 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


copper  color,  purported  to  be  a chief,  and  the  kins- 
man of  the  famous  Cornplanter  who  made  treaties 
with  George  Washington.  On  entering  the  Indian 
Industrial  School  Building  one  saw  excellent  works 
of  art  executed  hy  the  descendants  of  the  banished 
copper-colored  man,  and  heard  sweet  music  ren- 
dered by  an  Indian  c|uartette,  consisting  of  two 
little  Indian  boys  and  two  little  Indian  girls.  This 
fine  evidence  of  real  talent  shows  us  that  the  Red 
Man’s  descendants  are  susceptible  to  education,  and 
capable  of  cultivation  and  refinement ; that  they 
possess  sentiments  and  feelings  very  near  kin  to 
those  of  the  Caucasians,  by  whom  their  forefathers 
were  banished  and  supplanted. 

Greece,  not  desirous  of  being  forgotten,  though 
once  dropped  from  the  list  of  great  empires,  appears 
on  the  scene  with  an  excellent  exhibit  of  raw  silks 
of  ever}"  color  and  grade,  together  with  honeys  and 
tobaccos,  and  soaps  and  wines. 

Louisiana  held  her  own  in  rice,  molasses  and 
sugar-cane;  while  British  Columbia,  Louisiana’s 
World’s  Fair  neighbor,  loomed  up  with  her  fowls 
of  every  variety,  as  well  as  with  her  products  of 
the  soil. 

How  delighted  was  a Virginian  to  have  his  eye 
fall  upon  Mount  Vernon  exactly  reproduced. 
Mount  Vernon  was  modest,  devoid  of  elegance,  yet 


24 


FIRST  DAY 


loved  because  there  is  something  in  the  name  in- 
separably associated  with  the  place.  In  it  were 
found  several  pieces  of  statuary,  W^ashington’s 
arm-chair,  a picture  of  him  who  was  “first  in  war, 
first  in  peace,  and  first  in  the  hearts  of  his  country- 
men,” many  books  by  Virginia  authors,  beautiful 
fancy  and  embroidered  work  by  Virginia  women,  a 
handsome  picture  of  Miss  Pryor,  an  old-fashioned 
piano,  and  several  other  antic|ue  pieces  of  furni- 
ture. Of  course,  there  was  in  Mount  V ernon  the 
Virginia  Post-office  for  Virginia  people,  as  there 
were  post-offices  in  all  the  State  buildings.  It  was 
reported  that  Mount  Vernon  was  more  largely 
visited  than  was  any  other  building.  Of  course, 
Virginia  came  to  the  front  in  the  Agricultural 
Building  in  her  display  of  the  products  of  the  soil, 
and  her  minerals,  and  in  liberal  arts  held  her  own. 

Who  has  not  heard  of  the  Mid-ivay  Plaisancc, 
a broad  avenue  with  attractive  buildings  and  scenes 
of  every  conceivable  description  on  either  side? 

On  entering  the  Midway  one's  attention  was 
irresistibly  drawn  to  one  side  of  this  great  street 
by  the  strange  music  of  a foreign  tambourine,  and 
the  hideous  yelling  (music,  so-called)  of  non- 
American  girls,  and  on  closer  observation  it  would 
be  learned  that  muscle  movements  of  Persian  girls 
were  attracting  the  crowds,  such  action  being 


25 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


known  as  the  famous  muscle-dance,  peculiar  to 
Persia. 

To  those  possessing  the  sense  of  propriety,  these 
bodily  contortions  were  unrefined  and  even  repul- 
sive. Not  being  very  much  interested  nor  spirit- 
ually enlightened,  we  left  the  place  of  this  par- 
tially theatrical  and  gymnastic  performance  of  a 
semi-indecent  character,  and  soon  found  ourselves 
in  the  Japanese  store  of  exquisite  grandeur.  This 
store  contained  every  article  of  trade,  either  fancy 
or  coarse,  made  by  the  ingenious  Japs.  Several 
hours  of  close  inspection  might  have  been  spent 
there  with  pleasure  and  profit ; but  the  “revolving 
train”  attracted  the  eye  and  called  us  away  from 
these  objects,  affording  temporary  amusement.  In 
the  distance,  several  squares  from  the  place  of  the 
Persian  muscle-dance,  there  towered  above  every- 
thing else  the  famous  and  much-talked-of  Ferris 
IV heel,  whose  construction  cost  four  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  It  was  made  up  of  thirty-eight 
coaches,  each  coach  approximating  the  size  of  a 
Pullman  car.  It  was  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
high,  and  brilliantly  illuminated  at  night  with  hun- 
dreds of  little  electric  globes.  The  seating  capacity 
of  each  car  was  at  least  thirty  people,  making  a total 
capacity  of  eleven  hundred  and  forty  people.  This 
handsome  collection  of  cars,  placed  together  one 

26 


FIRST  DAY 


after  another  in  a tremendous  wheel,  revolved  at 
the  touch  of  a lever  of  the  engine  below  the  surface 
of  the  ground,  and  likewise  was  stopped  at  the  will 
of  the  engineer. 

Two  engines  were  required  for  proper  service. 
Just  before  we  reached  Chicago,  a lady  suffering 
with  angina  pectoris  died  of  it  while  elevated  in 
the  wheel,  several  hundred  feet  above  the  ground. 
On  one  occasion,  the  machinery  got  out  of  working 
order,  and  the  managers  were  unable  to  readjust 
it,  so  the  people  who  were  making  the  circuit  were 
compelled  to  stay  up  in  the  sky  for  six  hours.  The 
passengers  were  glad,  you  may  know,  when  they 
touched  mother  earth  again,  and  were  heard  mak- 
ing themselves  promise  after  promise  never  to  get 
up  so  high  again  until  they  should  be  called  to  a 
better  world,  and  even  then  they  hoped  they  would 
not  be  asked  to  go  in  a Ferris  Wheel. 

The  sun  had  gone  down  some  hours  since ; the 
much-walked  visitors  were  feeling  the  effects  of  a 
day's  novel  dissipation;  the  clock  had  already 
struck  ten,  but  we  wanted  to  see  the  streets  of 
Cairo,  Egypt,  and  learn  the  manners  and  customs 
of  the  Eg}qitians,  to  see  their  articles  of  trade,  to 
hear  their  wedding  march,  and  to  ride  one  of  their 
camels.  Ride  with  us,  dear  reader,  out  of  the  gate 
of  the  city  of  Cairo,  on  a humped-back  camel ; let 


27 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


it  end  our  first  clay’s  sight-seeing.  Don’t  you 
know  that  we,  dusty  and  tired,  were  glad  to  reach 
our  room  in  even  a crowded  boarding  house,  and 
that  it  was  not  necessary  either  to  sing  or  rock  us  to 
sleep  ? 


28 


SECOND  DAY 


CHAPTER  II 
Second  Day 

EFRESHED  after  the  night’s  sleep,  and 
strengthened  by  an  appetizing  breakfast, 
we  are  ready  this  morning  for  another 
interesting  day  in  the  city  of  Chicago, 
to  which  hundreds  of  people  are  flocking  on  every 
train.  The  weather  is  all  that  could  be  desired,  and 
the  sight-seers  are  happy.  Haven’t  you  heard  of 
the  Moorish  Palace?  Certainly  you  have.  WTll, 
this  is  in  the  Midway  Plaisance.  Buy  your  ticket 
for  fifty  cents,  because  yesterday’s  ticket  won’t  be 
good  for  to-day,  then  go  up  to  the  kloorish  Palace, 
and  if  you  so  desire,  spend  the  half  of  a day  on  the 
first  and  second  floors  of  the  building;  do  so,  and 
you  will  enjoy  more  than  one  hearty  laugh. 

Like  a thousand  and  one  gems  of  poetry  re- 
flecting the  thoughts  of  men,  there  are  a thousand 
and  one  mirrors  on  the  first  floor  of  the  Aloorish 
Palace,  reflecting  the  figures  of  both  men  and 
women.  This  great  net-work  of  upright  mirrors 
is  confusing.  They  were  placed  there  to  beautify 


29 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


tlie  building,  and  to  confuse  the  people,  and  the 
two-fold  object  was  certainly  accomplished. 

After  entering  the  building,  you  say  to  yourself 
as  you  start  through  the  pathway  between  the  mir- 
rors, “I  know  all  about  this  thing.  I’ll  have  no 
trouble  in  finding  my  way  in,  nor  in  reaching  au}^ 
one  of  the  doors.”  You  think  at  every  turn  that 
you  are  going  through  a door,  and  that  you  are 
getting  along  in  fine  style,  while  neighbor  over  the 
way  is  being  laughed  at,  when  suddenly  you  find 
yourself  as  completely  non-plussed  as  your  neigh- 
bor is.  After  recovery  from  the  first  surprise,  you 
start  again  and  walk  on,  thinking  that  you  are 
going  through  a doorway,  and  meeting  people  as 
you  go,  you  suppose  they  are  coming  from  another 
apartment,  when  lo ! and  behold,  it  is  your  own 
reflection  and  that  of  your  friend  by  your  side,  and 
you  bump  up  with  a terrible  bump  against  your 
own  self.  The  entire  interior  of  this  immense  room 
is  nothing  but  mirrors,  giving  it  the  appearance  of 
a great  smooth  expanse.  If  you  can  possibly  find 
your  way  out  without  being  laughed  at,  go  up  on 
the  second  floor,  and  stand  with  seven  people, 
within  a space  of  ten  feet,  look  at  a mirror  hanging 
on  the  wall  and  you  will  see  reflected,  by  means  of 
this  peculiarly-shaped  looking-glass  the  figures  of 
about  one  thousand  people.  These  are  none  other 


30 


SECOND  DAY 


than  yourself  and  your  seven  friends.  If  you  are 
not  too  big-headed  after  seeing  yourself  thus  mag- 
nified, enter  the  second  room  on  this  same  floor  and 
admire  the  splendid  representations  of  the  crown- 
heads  of  all  countries,  as  well  as  several  family 
groups  ingeniously  presented  in  wax.  Nearby  is 
printed  on  a piece  of  card-board,  in  a conspicuous 
position,  the  words,  “Please  do  not  flirt  with  the 
wax  figures” ; also  this,  “Any  gentleman  found 
flirting  with  the  wax  figures  will  be  arrested.” 

A most  interesting  family  in  wax  was  that  of 
INIartin  Luther,  who,  like  John  Knox,  of  Scotland, 
never  feared  the  face  of  man.  There  sits  Luther, 
the  great  hero  of  the  Reformation,  with  hlelanc- 
thon,  his  co-laborer  by  his  side.  Four  of  Luther’s 
children,  standing  as  a quartette  around  him,  are 
singing  to  his  accompaniment,  which  he  plays  on 
the  lute.  Just  across  the  table  from  Luther  sits 
his  wife,  Katharine,  holding,  with  the  care  and 
tenderness  that  only  a mother  possesses,  the  young- 
est of  the  Luthers,  a babe  of  a few  months. 

You  recall  in  reading  the  history  of  Luther’s 
life,  that  he  said  he  would  never  marry.  However, 
he  met  his  fate,  “he  couldn’t  help  it,”  when  he  met 
Katharine  von  Bora.  He  fell  a victim  to  her 
charms ; she  reciprocated  his  admiration  and  love ; 
they  were  married,  and  God  blessed  the  union. 


31 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


After  their  marriage,  in  his  war  against  error 
and  corruption  with  tlie  pagan  world,  when  he 
shook  Europe  to  its  ver)^  centre  with  the  great 
truths  of  God’s  glorious  Book,  one  of  the  weapons 
he  used  with  especial  delight  was  the  Epistle  to  the 
Galatians,  which  he  called  “Katharine  von  Bora,” 
in  honor  of  his  much-admired  wife.  While  we 
were  looking  at  this  family  group,  some  man 
walked  up  and  addressed  this  question  to  Luther’s 
youngest  son,  who  was  nearest  to  him,  “Buddy, 
what  is  your  name?” 

The  eye  fell  with  horror  upon  a scene  not  very 
far  -off,  one  of  great  historical  interest,  and  that 
was  the  wax  representation  of  the  execution  of 
Marie  Antoinette  on  the  awful  guillotine.  There 
she  stands  in  her  queenly  beauty,  splendidly  attired, 
surrounded  by  her  assassinators,  who  gazed  first 
at  the  condemned  woman,  and  then  at  the  awful 
instrument  of  execution,  as  they  put  to  her  the  final 
questions. 

She  was  executed  October  i6,  1793,  just  one 
hundred  years  ago  this  month.  She  was  the  wife 
of  Louis  XVI.,  who  also  lost  his  life  on  the  same 
guillotine,  together  wdth  eighteen  hundred  aristo- 
crats. This  guillotine  seen  at  the  World’s  Eair  w'^as 
the  only  one  ever  on  exhibition  in  the  United 
States. 


32 


SECOND  DAY 


A wax  representation  of  Christ  and  the  Samari- 
tan woman  at  the  Well  of  Sychar  was  exhibited  in 
the  Moorish  Palace.  At  a little  distance  across  the 
room  were  images  of  Napoleon  L,  Queen  Victoria, 
her  son,  the  Prince  of  Wales  and  future  king  of 
Great  Britain,  and  his  wife ; the  Czar  of  Russia, 
Presidents  Grant  and  Harrison,  and  in  magnificent 
wax,  with  white  flowing  robes,  was  the  aged  Pope 
Leo  XIIL,  the  Pope  of  the  united  Catholic  order, 
an  immediate  descendant  of  Leo  X.,  the  Pope  ar 
the  time  of  the  Reformation. 

The  assassination  of  Lincoln,  with  all  of  its 
attending  horrors,  the  falling  victim,  the  blood 
dripping  from  the  wound,  the  anguish  of  his  coun- 
tenance, the  evidence  of  pain,  etc.,  were  all  brought 
out  by  the  skill  of  the  workers  in  wax.  It  is 
recalled  that  while  in  his  private  box  in  Ford’s 
Theatre,  Washington,  D.  C.,  in  company  with  his 
wife  and  a gentleman  friend.  President  Lincoln 
was  shot  by  a man  named  Booth,  who  made  his 
escape  by  leaping  for  his  life  from  the  gallery  of  the 
Theatre,  but  rvas  afterwards  caught.  There  was 
also  the  wax  statue  of  Frederick  IT,  the  Great, 
dubbed  by  his  people,  on  account  of  his  intellect  and 
attainments,  “The  Incomparable.”  How  wonder- 
ful is  the  skill  of  a man’s  hand,  behind  which  is  an 
ingenious  brain  as  seen  in  all  of  these  beautiful  wax 


33 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


designs,  iDringing-  np  the  fact  with  almost  speaking 
splendor  to  the  mind  and  vision  of  the  interested 
spectator.  Amused  as  well  as  edified,  you  pass 
down  from  the  second  floor  of  the  Moorish  Palace 
to  the  first,  only  to  become  entangled  for  the  second 
time  in  the  maze  of  mirrors;  but  your  time  is 
limited,  so  some  attentive  guide  “gathers  you  to- 
gether,” and  leads  you  through  the  right  door  out 
into  Midway  Plaisance,  when  you  breathe  once 
more  the  pure  oxygen  of  the  air.  Being  thus  re- 
freshed, and  determined  to  make  the  best  use  of 
your  time,  you  start  for  Hagenbeck’s  Wild  Animal 
Theatre,  to  see  one  of  the  best  exhibits  of  trained 
animals  and  birds  ever  brought  in  this  country  to 
the  attention  of  the  public. 

As  you  walk  hurriedly  along  Midway  Plaisance 
your  eye  falls  on  a yellow  building,  two  or  three 
stories  high.  On  the  front  near  the  top  are  written 
these  words,  “Plagenbeck’s  Wild  Animal  Theatre,” 
and  just  underneath  this  sign,  embedded  in  the 
wall  fifteen  feet  above  ground,  is  a large  iron  cage 
containing  a nervous  lion  and  a quiet  lioness.  You 
have  found  the  place.  The  ticket  agent’s  window 
is  right  by  the  entrance.  Pay  fifty  cents  admission, 
go  along  in  with  many  others,  walk  around  the 
circular  interior  of  the  first  floor,  and  see  the  ani- 
mals in  cages,  the  leopard  lying  down  with  the 


34 


SECOND  DAY 


lamb,  the  lion  with  the  panther,  the  bear  with  the 
dog,  and  the  monkey  with  the  lioness. 

Watch  the  trained  animals  in  their  remarkable 
performances.  Look  at  the  jumping  dog,  the  rid- 
ing bear,  as  he  sticks  to  the  back  of  the  horse  that 
gallops  around  the  circle. 

Behold  the  snake-charmer,  with  a tremendous 
rattlesnake  wrapped  around  his  neck  and  shoulders, 
as  he  gently  strokes  the  head  of  his  pet  ; see  the 
smart  tricks  of  the  little  red-capped  monkey,  and 
those  of  his  larger  brother;  witness  all  the  gym- 
nastic performances  of  the  trained  animals;  look 
with  wonder  upon  the  numerous  c|uadrupeds  and 
creeping'  thing's  brought  from  the  mountains,  the 
wildernesses,  and  the  forests,  and  when  your  time  is 
up  go  somewhere  else,  although  you  might  be  in- 
clined to  stay  longer  in  Hagenbeck's  Midway 
House. 

The  Irish  Village  next  confronts  you.  This, 
of  course,  brings  before  your  eye  the  home-life  of 
Irishmen  in  the  Old  Country.  “Pat”  was  seen  in 
different  trades  and  professions.  Those  who 
needed  the  inspiration  necessary  to  join  the  society 
of  the  smooth-tongued  flatterer  found  their  way  to 
the  Blarney-stone,  and  after  kissing  it  went  on  their 
way  rejoicing. 

Saint  Peter’s  Cathedral  may  be  seen  near  the 


35 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


Ferris  Wheel.  This  is  of  magnificent  construction, 
and  has  as  exterior  front  ornaments  statues  of  sev- 
eral of  the  apostles — Paul,  Simon,  Thaddeus  and 
Peter. 

If  not  too  weary,  go  into  a nearby  building  to 
see  the  Gold  Mining  Process  of  Colorado,  showing 
work  done  minutely  and  elaborately  with  machin- 
ery made  for  separating  purposes.  The  machinery 
separates  gold,  when  dug  out  of  the  earth,  from  the 
dirt  and  every  other  intimate  metal.  In  this  pro- 
cess, as  represented,  men  are  seen  working  way 
down  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  getting  out  the 
precious  dust  to  gratify  the  wishes  of  the  rich  and 
poor,  the  great  and  small. 

May  we  not  leave  Midway  Plaisance  with  the 
feeling  that  it  is  a very  attractive  place;  and,  al- 
though we  could  stay  there  much  longer  and  be 
entertained,  let  us  visit  some  of  the  great  buildings 
equalling,  if  not  surpassing,  those  visited  the  first 
day. 

We  find  ourselves,  after  a walk  of  several  hun- 
dred yards  from  Midway,  in  the  Transportation 
Building.  It  gets  its  name  from  the  use  of  its  con- 
tents, which  transport  people  from  one  place  to 
another.  In  it  may  be  seen  almost  every  vehicle  of 
travel  used  by  man.  You  are  struck,  on  entering, 
with  the  great  exhibit  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad 

36 


SECOND  DAY 


Company.  There  stands,  in  all  of  its  modern  splen- 
dor, a steam  engine  from  New  York,  the  great 
Empire  State,  with  wheels  eight  or  ten  feet  in  diam- 
eter, with  a weight  of  240,000  pounds,  and  with  a 
speed  of  1 12  miles  an  hour.  Right  by  the  side  of 
this  iron  horse,  with  muscles  of  steel  and  breath  of 
steam,  stands  a modest,  breathless  engine  made  in 
1831,  sixty-two  years  ago.  The  coaches  to  which 
it  was  attached  were  as  ancient  and  as  insignificant 
looking  as  their  leader.  They  were  but  little  better 
looking  than  the  old-time  ante  helium  two-horse 
carriage,  and  but  little  larger.  What  a contrast  was 
thus  presented  between  the  former  and  the  present 
vehicles  of  railway  transportation ! 

Thus  the  progress  of  a half-century  was  very 
clearly  brought  to  the  eyes  and  mind  of  the  World's 
Fair  visitor.  Besides  this,  there  were  many  small, 
but  beautiful  boats,  of  perfect  construction,  enclosed 
in  glass  cases,  representing  the  seaworthy  transpor- 
tation vehicles  of  a great  company.  How  skillfully 
made  were  the  miniature  ships  (in  glass  cases), 
representing  the  ships  of  every  country’s  navy. 
The  products  of  the  Northern  Pacific  coast  were 
handsomely  exhibited  in  four  unusually  large  cars 
from  the  State  of  Pennsylvania.  The  boy  who 
loves  the  bicycle  method  of  transportation  is  readily 
attracted  in  this  building  by  the  presence  of  “The 


37 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


Victor,”  ‘‘The  Columbia,”  “The  Western,”  “The 
Raleigh”  bicycles.  Who  was  not  struck,  when 
looking  among  the  wheels,  with  the  picture  of  Zim- 
merman, and  that  of  his  “Raleigh”  bicycle,  with 
which  he  had  won  seventy-five  prizes,  the  majority 
of  them  gold  medals,  all  of  which  were  on  exhibi- 
tion ? It  was  a great  treat  to  see  every  variety  of 
carriage,  buggy,  sulky,  dog-cart,  driving-cart,  and 
electric  machines  both  ancient  and  modern. 

Lord  Mayor’s  dress  coach,  most  elegantly  orna- 
mented both  on  the  interior  and  exterior,  painted 
black  and  blue  in  the  main,  with  golden  stripes  and 
trimmings,  and  altogether  very  handsomely  con- 
structed and  offered  for  sale  at  a cost  of  twelve 
hundred  and  seventy  dollars,  was  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  carriages  on  exbibition. 

Canada  sleds  of  good  finish  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  the  small  boy,  who  loves  the  snow,  but  his 
heart  fell  when  he  noticed  that  if  he  bought  one,  it 
would  cost  him  a hundred  dollars,  so  he  passed  on 
to  see  Mexican  horses  in  wood,  with  wax  riders, 
clothed  in  Mexican  costume,  seated  on  fine  Mexican 
saddles,  and  showing  forth  the  life  that  the  Mexi- 
can loves  above  everything  else.  Let’s  be  satisfied 
with  what  we  have  seen  in  the  Transportation 
Building  and  elsewhere  on  the  Fair  Grounds  to-day. 
Get  a bicycle  and  transport  yourself  away  from  the 

38 


SECOND  DAY 


Transportation  Building,  for  you  will  be  trans- 
ported by  some  one  else  if  you  don't,  because  the 
door-keepers  are  yelling  “All  out,”  “all  out,”  and 
are  making  preparations  to  lock  the  doors  for  the 
night. 

Find  your  way  to-night  to  Park  Gate  Hotel 
right  near  the  Fair  Grounds,  get  a warm  supper, 
e\'en  though  it  is  late,  enjoy  what  is  set  before  you, 
thank  a kind  Providence  for  the  pleasure  of  the  day, 
as  well  as  for  His  care  extended,  commit  yourself 
to  his  protection  for  the  hours  that  you  are  to  rest 
in  silence,  for  “He  neither  slumbers  nor  sleeps,” 
and  gentl}^  pass  over  into  the  land  of  nod,  without 
feeling  any  necessity  whatever  of  a dose  of  IMrs. 
'Whnslow’s  Soothing  Syrup.  Thy  pillow  will  be 
soft,  though  it  be  a clod ! 


39 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


CHAPTER  III 
Third  Day 

P to-day  with  a bounce,  and  get  breakfast 
of  coffee,  buckwheat  cakes,  biscuits  and 
steak  at  7 ; 30  o'clock,  and  off  to  the  Fair 
Grounds  by  8 o’clock ! The  crowds  are 
pouring  in  at  the  different  gates.  See  all  you  can 
to-day,  for  one-half  your  time  in  Chicago  has  gone, 
and  there  is  a great  deal  yet  you  want  to  see.  It 
will  be  pleasant  to  go  into  the  Minifig  Building  this 
morning.  Just  on  the  outside  is  a fine  advertise- 
ment of  what  may  be  seen  within,  and  that  is  a 
tremendous  lilock  of  coal,  weighing  several  tons. 
As  we  enter  this  building,  containing  samples  of  the 
wealth  of  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  we  may  inspect 
every  variety  of  the  minerals,  rocks,  stones,  asbes- 
tos ore,  iron,  tin,  copper,  lead,  brass,  gold,  and  more 
than  one  kind  of  coal.  How  splendid  is  the  marble 
of  several  sorts  and  from  several  places ! The 
marble  statuary  was  exquisite,  notably  the  statue 
of  “Liberty,”  holding  in  her  hand  a light  enlighten- 
ing the  world.  Marble  mantel-pieces  and  tomb- 


40 


THIRD  DAY 


stones,  from  the  mines  of  Italy,  were  highly  pol- 
ished and  pleasing  to  the  aesthetic  e}^e.  Close  to 
Pennsylvania’s  advertisement,  which  was  an  im- 
mense pyramid  of  coal,  we  noticed  carefully  a statue 
of  Lot’s  wife  in  salt.  As  we  looked  at  it,  we  were 
not  only  mindful  of  the  fact  that  we  were  in  the 
Mining  Building  at  the  World’s  Fair,  but  we  re- 
called the  familiar  biblical  warning,  “Remember 
Lot’s  wife,’’  so  we  passed  on  and  didn't  look  back, 
but  went  forward  and  examined  a wonderful  in- 
strument for  extracting  gold  from  the  gravel  de- 
posits of  the  river  in  gold  regions.  It  is  called 
“The  Amalgamating  Machine,’’  and  was  exhibited 
by  the  State  of  Wisconsin. 

The  Administration  Building  is  not  far  from 
the  Mining  Building,  and  is  a good  place  in  which 
to  rest.  And  as  this  is  Italian  Day  at  the  World’s 
Fair,  let’s  sit  for  a moment  in  front  of  it,  and  listen 
to  sweet  music  rendered  by  several  Italian  bands. 
What  fine  musicians  the  Italians  are ! 

did  not  find  very  much  variety  in  the  Ad- 
ministration Building.  The  offices  of  the  managers 
of  the  Fair,  a bank,  and  a telegraph  station,  to- 
gether with  a small  house  eighteen  feet  long,  nine 
and  a half  feet  wide  and  forty-two  inches  high, 
called  “The  United  States  Treasury,’’  and  made  of 
Columbian  silver  half  dollars — the  sides,  top  and 


41 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


all  made  of  this  money  and  very  suggestive — were 
the  only  objects  of  interest  we  saw  in  the  Adminis- 
tration Building. 

Who  is  not  interested  in  the  Electricity  Build- 
ing, exhibiting  one  of  the  greatest  wonders  of  the 
many  wonders  at  the  Fair? 

The  graphophone  and  phonograph  invented  by 
Edison,  perhaps  the  greatest  genius  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  were  most  attractive  factors  in  the 
electrical  exhibit. 

The  different  uses  to  which  electricity  is  put  in 
operating  machinery  and  turning  night  into  day 
were  splendidly  demonstrated.  It  was  a privilege  to 
enter  this  building  at  night  and  enjoy  the  wonder- 
ful play  and  display  of  electricity  in  the  variegated 
revolving  lenses  of  several  feet  in  circumference,  as 
well  as  the  pillars  supporting  this  immense  house, 
thickly  covered  with  red,  white  and  blue  electric 
globes,  and  then  watch  it  playing  in  curves,  then  up- 
ward and  downward  and  finally  pass  in  three  shades 
across  the  entire  building  that  covers  several  acres. 

Those  who  saw  this  declared  that  the  nineteenth 
century  is  indeed  the  century  of  progress  and  en- 
lightenment. 

The  largest  of  all  the  buildings  next  meets  our 
view,  and  this  is  the  Manufacturing  Building,  cov- 
ering an  area  of  forty  acres.  Think  of  it ! 


42 


THIRD  DAY 


Here  we  find  the  handiwork  of  man  in  every 
shape  and  form.  Yon  will  notice  with  deep  interest 
the  school  exhibits  of  art,  the  maps  and  other  draw- 
ings, the  work  of  the  pupils  of  our  land ; that  done 
by  the  students  in  blind  asylums  was  especially 
good.  The  books  and  instruments  with  which  they 
studied,  the  chairs,  brooms,  carpets,  mattresses  and 
brushes  that  they  made  solicited  the  admiring  atten- 
tion of  all  who  were  fortunate  enough  to  see  the 
results  of  the  efforts  of  those  devoid  of  vision. 
Their  books  and  maps  were  so  made  with  raised 
letters  as  to  enable  them  by  the  sense  of  touch  to 
locate  accurately  with  their  fingers  the  situation  of 
cities,  and  the  location  of  rivers,  lakes  and  oceans. 

We  noticed  with  care,  but  not  with  pleasure,  the 
exhibit  of  images.  The  Good  Book,  to  which  we 
cling  and  by  the  teachings  of  which  all  should 
earnestly  strive  to  live,  tells  us,  in  the  twentieth 
chapter  of  Exodus,  what  our  attitude  must  be  to- 
ward graven  images : “Thou  shalt  not  make  unto 
thee  a graven  image,  nor  the  likeness  of  any  form 
that  is  in  heaven  above,  or  that  is  in  the  earth 
beneath,  or  that  is  in  the  water  under  the  earth ; 
thou  shalt  not  bow  down  thyself  unto  them,  nor 
serve  them:  for  I the  Lord  thy  God  am  a jealous 
God,  visiting  the  iniquity  of  the  fathers  upon  the 
children,  unto  the  third  and  fourth  generations  of 


43 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


them  that  hate  me ; and  showing  mercy  unto  thou- 
sands of  them  tliat  love  me  and  keep  my  com- 
mandments.” 

To  those  impressed  with  this  great  command, 
and  the  necessity  of  obeying  it,  the  sight  of  the  im- 
age of  our  Lord  made  of  wax,  lying  in  a sepulchre, 
with  gash  in  his  side  and  nail-prints  in  his  hands 
and  in  his  feet,  and  another  of  brass  suspended 
from  the  cross,  produced  the  feeling  of  keen  sorrow 
that  his  memory  should  be  treated  with  irrever- 
ence by  dragging  his  body  thus  into  the  common 
affairs  of  the  world,  and  that  his  sacred  command 
should  be  shamefully  disobeyed.  Along  with  these 
two  images  there  were  fifteen  others  of  different 
styles  representing  the  Son  of  Mary. 

Not  very  far  from  these  images,  in  the  Manu- 
facturing Building,  there  hung  upon  the  wall  some 
fine  pictures,  such  as  “A  Later  Day  Moses,”  “The 
Evening  Zephyr,”  “Gretchen,”  “Buffalo  Bill,”  and 
a fifth  called  “In  Bondage,”  a painting  showing 
submission  on  the  part  of  a caged  lion. 

One  thing  after  another  comes  before  the  eye  in 
this  tremendous  house,  and  we  were  struck  particu- 
larly with  the  shrewdness  of  a firm  known  as  the 
Rothschilds  Bros.,  in  advertising  their  clothing  in 
a very  ingeneous  way.  It  was  this : President 
Cleveland  and  his  Cabinet  are  all  in  wax,  sitting 


44 


THIRD  DAY 


together,  nicely  attired  in  Rothschilds  Bros.’  cloth- 
ing. The  President  has  a check  in  his  hand  ready 
to  pay  for  the  clothes  of  Carlisle,  Smith,  Lamont, 
Olney,  Gresham,  Bissell,  Morton,  Herbert  and  his 
own.  Adjacent  to  this  was  an  amusing  advertise- 
ment in  wax,  of  a little  boy,  jumping  over  a fence. 
A bull-dog  has  gotten  after  him,  and  as  was  natural 
he  ran  for  a fence,  and  as  he  leaps  to  the  top  of  the 
fence  the  dog  grabs  him  and  tears  a piece  from  the 
seat  of  his  new  trousers,  but  doesn’t  tear  the  skin. 
The  little  fellow  looks  back,  and  is  sad  because  a 
part  of  his  pants  has  gone,  and  glad  because  he  got 
off  the  fence  with  no  greater  loss. 

In  concluding  the  brief  account  of  the  contents 
of  the  Manufacturing  Building,  let  it  be  said  that 
anything  from  a cambric  needle  in  a woman’s  work 
basket  to  a colossal  engine  from  the  Empire  State 
may  be  found ; that  the  official  classification  of  its 
contents  shows  that  there  are  two  hundred  and 
fourteen  classes,  divided  into  forty-six  groups,  in- 
cluding chemical  supplies,  glassware,  silverware, 
goldware,  rubber  goods,  scales,  vaults,  leather 
goods,  plumbing  and  sanitary  materials,  and  many, 
many  other  things  and  every  other  thing  that  is 
manufactured.  It  would  require  a book  larger  than 
the  twenty-volume  Encyclopedia  Britannica  to  con- 
tain them.  You  leave  the  building  wonder-struck 


45 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


at  its  great  size  and  enormous  contents.  It  is  three 
times  larger  than  that  great  building  St.  Peters 
Cathedral  in  Rome,  and  is  the  largest  building  in 
the  world.  Its  unparalleled  size  makes  it  the  archi- 
tectural wonder  of  this  planet. 

Take  now  a drink  of  Brazilian  coffee  that  dif- 
fers from  the  coffee  used  in  America  in  that  it  is 
very  much  stronger,  and  a shell  waffle  from  Costa 
Rica,  with  which  you  are  refreshed,  and  if  you  are 
a woman,  go  to  “The  AVoman’s  Building,”  and 
spend  hours  looking  at  hats  and  dresses  and  cloaks, 
embroidery,  lace  work,  and  the  like,  thus  obtaining 
topics  for  almost  an  endless  conversation ; but  if 
you  are  a man,  spend  only  a few  minutes,  which  are 
enough  to  satisfy  a man’s  curiosity  about  woman’s 
work. 

You  are  now  in  a building  devoted  exclusively 
to  woman  and  woman’s  woi'k.  This  is  indeed  a 
step  in  the  line  of  progress  for  the  gentler  sex;  as 
in  the  past,  woman’s  place  at  expositions  has 
scarcely  been  so  prominent.  Here  every  article  of 
work  peculiar  to  woman  is  exhibited  in  an  attrac- 
tive way.  Twenty-hve  organizations  composed  of 
women  have  been  allotted  space  in  this  handsome 
structure  of  pure  white. 

We  are  through  with  the  woman’s  building,  and 
as  we  look  out  through  the  door  we  find  that  the 

46 


THIRD  DAY 


United  States  battle-ship  invites  inspection.  The 
United  States  Navy  presents  an  unique  exhibit  in 
the  form  of  a faithful,  full-sized  model  of  one  of 
the  new  coast-line  battle-ships.  It  is  an  imitation 
built  on  piling,  off  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan. 
Surrounded  by  water,  it  gives  the  appearance  of 
being  moored  to  a wharf.  The  model  is  an  exact 
reproduction  of  the  coast-line  battle-ship  Illinois. 
It  is  manned  by  a crew  detailed  by  the  government. 
It  was  an  object  of  great  interest  to  strangers. 

The  clock  is  now  striking  5 p.  m.  It  has  been 
raining  ever  since  12  o'clock  noon. 

I have  not  stopped  for  the  rain,  and  am  as  wet 
as  if  I had  been  immersed.  The  climate  is  very 
changeable  in  Chicago.  It  reminds  me  of  the  state- 
ment I heard  once  from  the  lips  of  an  oft-discarded 
old  bachelor.  He  said,  “If  there  is  one  thing  certain 
about  certain  young  ladies  it  is  that  they  are  uncer- 
tain.” If  there  is  one  thing  certain  about  the  cli- 
mate of  Chicago,  it  is  that  it  is  uncertain.  But  an- 
other thing  is  certain,  and  that  is  that  the  people  of 
Chicago  certainly  know  how  to  do  their  part  in 
preparing  for  a great  Exposition  of  the  Woidd’s 
Wonders.  Well!  although  having  gotten  wet,  and 
having  sneezed  with  my  sneezer  until  my  head  is 
going  around  at  the  rate  of  fifty  miles  a minute,  I 
am  determined  to  face  the  storm  without  overshoes, 


47 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


gum-coat  or  umbrella;  so  off  I go  to  the  hotel  to 
make  preparation  for  comfortable  admission  into 
Buffalo  Bill’s  Wild  West  at  8 o’clock  to-night.  Get 
supper  after  getting  dry,  and  then  at  7 ; 30  o’clock 
buy  your  ticket  in  order  to  get  a good  seat.  Get  a 
pair  of  opera  glasses  so  as  to  be  well  fixed  for  ob- 
serving everything  that  William  F.  Cody  (Buffalo 
Bill ) has  to  present. 

The  first  thing  on  the  programme  was  the  open- 
ing speech  by  the  orator,  L.  J.  Loving,  who,  we 
suppose,  makes  the  same  oratorical  display  at  every 
place  where  Buffalo  Bill  unfolds  his  experience  in 
the  West.  The  grand  review  of  one  hundred  rough 
riders  of  the  world  was  next  introduced  and 
watched  with  spell-bound  interest.  These  riders 
were  soldiers  of  the  armies  of  the  United  States, 
England,  France,  Germany  and  Russia.  The 
riders  were  placed  in  companies,  each  company 
having  its  own  captain,  and  advancing  in  the  order 
of  announcement. 

Miss  Annie  Oakley,  the  celebrated  shot,  next 
illustrated  her  dexterity  in  the  use  of  fire-arms. 
Glass  balls  were  the  victims  of  her  skill ; almost 
without  fail,  whenever  she  fired  with  gun,  pistol  or 
rifle,  the  balls  being  thrown  in  the  air  wouldn’t 
reach  the  ground  in  a whole  condition.  She  would 
shoot  with  her  gun,  with  her  body  in  various  posi- 

48 


THIRD  DAY 


tions.  She  is  the  most  celebrated  shot  on  this  con- 
tinent. 

A horse  race  between  a Cossack,  a Mexican,  an 
Arab,  and  an  Indian,  on  Spanish-Mexican,  Bron- 
cho, Russian,  Indian  and  Arabian  horses,  next 
amused  a large  gathering  of  sight-seers,  and  this 
item  alone  was  worth  more  than  the  cost  of  a ticket. 

Buffalo  Bill  has  had,  in  the  years  gone  by,  exten- 
sive experience  with  the  Indians  of  the  West,  so  he 
had  a prairie  emigrant  train  brought  out,  and  while 
crossing  the  plains,  was  attacked  by  Indians,  and 
repulsed  by  Buffalo  Bill  with  scouts  and  cowboys. 
This  held  the  undivided  attention  of  the  people, 
who  were  delighted  with  representations  of  West- 
ern adventurers  that  occurred  thirty-five  years  ago. 

Racing  between  Prairie,  Spanish  and  Indian 
girls  was  next  witnessed,  and  they  convinced  us 
of  their  skill  as  riders,  and  showed  the  many  spec- 
tators that  they  were  even  equestrienne  wonders. 

The  wild  and  queer  customs  of  the  Indians  of 
the  far  West  were  splendidly  illustrated  by  real 
Indians,  so  that  those  who  had  never  seen  their 
copper-colored  neighbors,  but  had  read  historical 
accounts  of  them  were  charmed  to  see  that  history 
was  correct  in  its  portrayal  of  the  character  and 
customs  of  American  Aborigines. 

The  hunt  for  the  wild  Buffalo  as  it  is  done  in 


49 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


the  West  was  a real  thing.  The  animals  were 
turned  loose,  anti  snch  excitement  in  capturing 
them  yon  never  saw  before.  This  ^was  done  by 
William  Cody  and  his  trained  Indians. 

Buffalo  Bill  next  appeared  alone  upon  horse- 
back, and  as  he  merged  upon  the  scene  it  was  under 
the  hearty  applause  of  thousands  of  interested 
spectators.  7\s  he  rode  around  the  large  circle,  at 
different  points  stood  men  who,  as  he  passed,  threw 
glass  balls  in  tbe  air,  at  which  he  aimed  and  shot, 
and  which  he  struck,  scarcely  missing  one  while 
his  horse  was  running.  He  thus  plainly  showed  his 
remarkaljle  dexterity  in  this  attractive  feat  of  sharp- 
shooting. 

The  conclusion  of  the  evening  programme  was 
“The  Battle  of  the  Little  Big  Horn,”  which  was  a 
representation  of  Custer's  last  charge. 

There  were  other  features  of  the  Wild  Wes* 
exhibit  worthy  of  mention,  and  would  be  recorded 
here,  but  enough  has  been  given  to  the  reader  to 
show  that  Buffalo  Bill’s  exhibition  is  not  a sham, 
but  interesting  in  every  particular.  His  perform- 
ances always  come  up  to  the  expectation  of  his  audi- 
ences. 

We  will  say  good-night  to  Buffalo  Bill,  and  turn 
faces  towards  the  night’s  lodging-place,  as  it  is 
already  past  1 1 o’clock.  As  we  turn  under  the 


THIRD  DAY 


cover  of  a boarding  house  bed,  and  close  our  eyes, 
visions  of  Indians  and  horses  and  buffaloes  and 
guns  and  glass  balls,  and  emigrant  trains  crossing 
the  plains  come  to  us  with  a freshness  that  will  not 
die  away  with  hours  of  the  night,  but  will  last  for 
years  to  come. 

It  is  earnestly  hoped  that  the  kind  reader  has 
not  become  weary  with  the  third  day's  stay  in 
Chicago;  if  so,  let  him  retire  until  to-morrow,  and 
be  ready  for  the  fourth  and  last  day  of  sight-seeing 
at  the  World’s  Fair. 


51 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


CHAPTER  IV 
Fourth  Day 

N the  presentation  of  argument  for  the 
support  of  propositions  in  the  presence 
of  a jury  of  twelve  men,  or  that  to  sus- 
tain statements  with  regard  to  heavenly 
revelation,  it  is  said  that  the  strongest  line  of  argu- 
ment should  be  saved  for  the  last,  and  be  used  as 
the  clincher.  The  writer  may  not  be  able  in  this 
little  presentation  of  what  he  saw  at  Chicago,  to 
convince  his  readers  that  the  last  day  was  the  best, 
but  one  thing  is  true,  and  it  is  this,  that  whether  or 
not  the  contents  of  the  Art  Building  and  Music 
Blall  shall  be  clearly  described,  his  greatest  pleas- 
ure was  realized  in  these  two  buildings.  What  was 
seen  here  has  made  a more  lasting  impression  upon 
his  mind  and  heart  than  the  things  seen  elsewhere. 

On  the  principle  that  “variety  is  the  spice  of 
life,”  the  last  day  was  particularly  pleasant,  since 
the  secular  enjoyments  were  interspersed  with  the 
religious.  I heard  to-day  in  the  Music  Hall  a ser- 
mon of  great  eloquence,  simplicity  and  power,  and 

52 


FOURTH  DAY 


saw  things  that  impress  the  reality  of  life  upon  the 
mind  and  heart,  but  we  will  have  more  of  this 
later  on. 

Let  us  go  into  the  splendid  Art  Building,  that 
holds  under  its  towering  roof  and  within  its  wide 
walls  the  art  treasures  of  this  great  world.  It 
covers  an  area  of  five  acres,  and  is  unlike  the  other 
buildings  in  that  it  is  made  of  brick,  and  is  claimed 
by  its  architect,  who  had  it  constructed  with  iron 
roof,  galleries  and  floors,  to  be  fire-proof.  The 
main  entrances  are  through  four  large  doorways, 
handsomely  ornamented  with  carved  work,  and 
approached  by  large  and  wide  flights  of  steps.  The 
walls  are  extensively  painted  in  different  designs, 
illustrating  the  history  and  progress  of  the  arts. 

The  contents  consist,  in  the  main,  of  sculpture, 
paintings  in  oil  and  in  water  colors,  on  ivory, 
enamel,  metal,  porcelain  and  other  ware.  There 
were  also  fresco  paintings,  engravings,  prints  and 
etchings,  drawings  in  chalk,  charcoal  and  pastel, 
carvings  antique  and  modern,  engravings  in  medal- 
lions or  in  gems ; there  were  cameos  and  intaglios. 
Besides,  there  were  many  private  collections  of 
paintings.  All  of  these  were  wonderful,  and 
charmed  the  eye  and  gladdened  the  hearts  of  all 
lovers  of  the  beautiful,  and  even  made  the  non- 
lovers of  art  say  that  they  were  “very  good,”  and 


53 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


that  they  would  like  to  have  a few  of  them  in  their 
parlors. 

You  would  probably  like  for  the  writer  to  de- 
scribe briefly  several  of  the  thousands  of  pictures 
that  he  was  delighted  to  look  upon. 

One  of  magnificent  execution  was  called 
“Bringing  I-Iome  the  Bride.”  With  the  groom  she 
enters  the  home  of  her  newly  wedded  husband’s 
mother,  who  greets  her  with  the  accustomed  kiss 
and  motherly-in-law  embrace  and  cordial  words  of 
welcome  to  a place  in  the  family  circle.  The  father 
and  sister  of  the  groom  have  already  met  the  new 
daughter  and  sister,  and  are  represented  as  talking 
in  congratulatory  tones  to  the  groom  in  conse- 
quence of  his  achievement,  and  of  their  belief  that 
they  will  love  the  new-comer.  Just  in  front  of 
where  the  bride  was  standing  was  a flight  of  steps, 
and  two  negroes  with  hats  and  coats  of¥  were  as- 
cending, carrying  the  baggage  up  to  the  bride’s  new 
quarters.  An  old  bachelor  standing  by  this  picture 
remarked,  “All’s  well  that  ends  well.”  This  beauti- 
ful painting  commanded  great  attention  and  ad- 
miration. 

The  next  painting  was  not  one  that  pleasingly 
impressed  the  spectator.  It  was  far  from  represent- 
ing the  happiness  of  a newly-wedded  pair.  It  was 
one  of  tremendous  size,  and  called  “The  Flagel- 


54 


FOURTH  DAY 


lants.”  The  Flagellants  were  a fanatical  sect  which 
arose  in  Italy  in  the  year  of  onr  Lord  1260.  They 
maintained  that  flagellation  was  of  equal  virtue 
with  the  sacraments  of  baptism  and  the  Lord’s  Sup- 
per. In  the  thirteenth  and  fourteenth  centuries 
there  were  many  of  these  self-torturers  in  Southern 
Europe.  This  picture  was  a representation  of  the 
awful  and  painful  practice  of  bodily  punishment 
believed  to  he  conducive  to  spiritual  advance- 
ment. 

“A  British  Funeral”  was  another  expressive 
painting. 

“Rent  Day”  was  amusing  in  the  extreme.  As 
Homer  portra3'ed  with  his  pen  the  character  and 
achievements  of  his  heroes  in  glowing  colors,  so  the 
artist  of  “Rent  Day”  portrayed  with  his  brush,  in 
almost  speaking  terms,  two  old  Southern  darkies,  a 
hero  and  heroine  of  the  cotton-fields  and  corn-rows. 
They  were  renters,  and  had  worked  hard  for  a }^ear. 
They  had  just  received  their  “pay”  for  their  crops, 
and  with  heads  close  together  are  sitting  on  a bench 
counting  the  money,  cent  b}'  cent,  while  their  land- 
lord stands  before  them  waiting  to  receive  his  rent 
money. 

To  the  writer  the  finest  painting  in  the  great 
Art  Building  was  the  “Breaking  of  Home  Ties.” 
It  is  a touching  scene  that  carried  many  a man  back 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


to  the  days  of  his  first  experience  with  that  most 
dreadful  of  all  sicknesses,  namely,  home-sickness. 
A hoy  in  his  teens  is  leaving  home  for  the  first  time 
to  enter  the  wide  world  for  weal  or  woe.  The 
mother,  the  best  friend  a boy  ever  had,  is  standing 
by  him  with  her  hands  on  his  shoulders,  giving  him 
sweet,  tender  and  parting  words  of  admonition. 
We  could  almost  hear  her  say,  “My  son,  be  strong 
and  shew  thyself  a man;”  “Remember  now  thy 
Creator  in  the  days  of  thy  youth;”  “Fear  God  and 
keep  his  commandments.”  The  boy’s  head  is  hang- 
ing down,  and  his  eye  is  fastened  upon  some  spot  on 
the  floor,  as  he  takes  in  the  situation,  lays  his 
mother’s  advice  up  in  his  heart,  and  feels  keenly  the 
sadness  of  leaving  home  and  breaking  the  home 
ties.  His  older  brotlier  is  standing  at  the  door  of 
the  room,  with  the  young  man’s  satchel,  and  is 
looking  toward  him  as  much  as  to  say,  “Let’s  be  off, 
it’s  almost  train  time.”  The  sister,  too  full  for  ut- 
terance, is  leaning  on  the  arm  of  a chair,  stroking 
the  pet  kitten  as  it  fondly  lies  on  her  left  arm.  The 
father  has  turned  his  face  away  from  the  scene  of 
the  parting  mother  and  boy,  to  hide  the  tears  of  sor- 
row falling  over  the  departure  of  his  affectionate 
son.  No  picture  perhaps  has  ever  attracted  greater 
attention. 

The  Art  Building  and  contents  will  always  be 
S6 


FOURTH  DAY 


fresh  in  the  minds  of  the  thousands  of  visitors  at 
the  World’s  Fair. 

Pass  with  me  out  of  the  Art  Building,  through 
the  moving,  surging  crowd,  on  through  the  exit, 
out  of  the  Fair  Grounds;  catch  a street  car  that 
goes  down  town,  and  tell  the  conductor  to  put  you 
off  at  the  Central  Music  Hall,  where  the  great 
evangelist,  Dwight  L.  Moody,  has  been  preaching 
for  several  months  to  large  and  interested  audi- 
ences. 

It  wasn’t  my  pleasure  to  hear  Mr.  Moody,  but 
as  thousands  of  God’s  people  listened  to  him,  many 
of  them  doubtless  thought  of  Ruskin’s  words  as 
fitting  Mr.  Moody,  the  preacher  known  and  loved 
by  the  world,  namely,  “Oh ! it  is  great,  and  there 
is  no  other  greatness,  to  make  one  nook  of  God’s 
creation  more  fruitful,  better,  more  worthy  of  God ; 
to  make  some  human  heart  a little  wiser,  nobler, 
happier,  more  blessed.’’ 

I expected  to  hear  Mr.  Moody,  but  instead 
heard  Rev.  Dr.  John  Hall,  the  distinguished  Pres- 
byterian minister  of  New  York  City.  The  hall  was 
crowded ; the  great  stage  in  the  rear  of  the  pulpit 
was  made  beautiful  by  the  sight  and  singing  of 
hundreds  of  Christian  men  and  women,  who  lifted 
their  voices  in  aiding  the  man  of  God  in  his  attempt 
to  bring  the  devotions  of  the  great  congregation 


57 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


before  One  who  sat  upon  the  throne  ready  to  hear 
prayer  and  praise. 

Dr.  Hall  preached  on  the  great  things  of  the 
gospel,  taking  as  his  text  Romans  vi.  26 : “But  now 
being  made  free  from  sin,  and  liecome  servants  to 
God,  ye  have  your  fruit  unto  holiness  and  the  end 
everlasting  life.”  It  was  a masterpiece  of  truth, 
simplicity,  eloquence  and  power.  He  brought  out 
God’s  grace  in  freeing  his  followers  from  the  bond- 
age of  sin,  so  that  they,  though  sinful  after  accept- 
ing the  Redeemer  by  faith,  were  not  slaves  to  sin ; 
then  he  dwelt  on  the  great  fact  of  God’s  people 
serving  him  wjth  singleness  of  heart ; then  he  un- 
folded the  scriptural  meaning  of  the  great  doctrine 
of  sanctification,  “your  fruit  unto  holiness and 
enforced  as  his  last  thought  the  fact  of  God’s  gift  to 
these  he  calls  according  to  his  purpose,  namely, 
everlasting  life.  It  was  so  simple  a child  could 
understand  it.  During  the  course  of  his  sermon 
he  illustrated  the  lesson  of  “fruit  unto  holiness”  by 
relating  the  experience  of  a poor  widowed  mother 
in  her  efforts  to  advance  the  interests  of  her  only 
son. 

This  mother  went  before  the  faculty  of  a West- 
ern college,  and  said,  “Gentlemen,  I have  a hoy 
whom  I am  anxious  to  educate.  I am  a widow 
without  means,  hut  am  willing  to  do  anything  that 

58 


FOURTH  DAY 


is  honorable  to  earn  the  money  with  which  to  pay 
for  my  boy’s  education.  I am  willing  to  come  to 
the  college  with  my  son  and  do  the  washing  of  the 
students  here  if  you  will  just  let  my  boy  enter  and 
take  the  prescribed  course.” 

The  faculty  considered  the  woman’s  appeal  and 
quickly  decided,  with  unanimity,  to  accede  to  her 
request.  They  said,  “All  right.  Madam,  you  may 
bring  your  boy  and  take  the  laundry  work  of  the 
students.” 

When  September  came  the  noble  widow,  with 
her  only  son,  was  on  the  college  grounds.  She 
entered  the  boy  as  a student,  and  she,  entered  upon 
her  duties  as  college  washerwoman.  The  boy 
labored  hard,  and  the  mother’s  labors  were  no  less 
arduous.  They  both  toiled  on,  the  one  anxious, 
and  the  other  grateful.  At  the  end  of  the  first  ses- 
sion the  boy  was  distinguished  in  all  of  his  studies, 
but,  ah ! that  mother  was  none  the  less  distin- 
guished. The  second  session  passed,  and  at  the  end 
of  it  they  were  both  distinguished,  the  one  as  a stu- 
dent, the  other  as  a servant. 

They  entered  upon  the  third  session  with  their 
minds  and  hearts  full  of  their  work,  and  at  the 
close  of  this  session  the  boy  led  his  class,  and  the 
mother  was  distinguished  for  fidelity  in  her  humble 
vocation. 


59 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO 


The  fourth  session  came,  and  during  its  months 
there  was  no  idleness  on  the  part  of  mother  and 
son.  At  the  end  of  this  last  session  there  were  two 
celebrated  inmates  of  that  college  wall.  There  was 
only  one  medal  given,  and  that  to  the  first  honor 
man,  who  was  crowned  with  gold,  while  the  humble 
mother  was  crowned  with  glory,  the  glory  reflected 
in  the  achievements  and  love  of  a worthy  son. 

The  closing  exercises  of  the  school  were  held. 
Glad  young  hearts  gathered  in  the  college  hall. 
The  programme  was  carried  out,  and  it  was  an- 
nounced that  this  boy  had  received  the  medal. 
There  was  applause  from  all  the  students,  whose 
hearts  swelled  with  delight  that  he  was  the  recipi- 
ent. He  arose  to  receive  the  prize  of  distinction, 
to  wdiich  was  attached  a piece  of  ribbon.  He 
gracefully  acknowdedged  his  appreciation,  walked 
down  the  long  crowded  aisle,  pushed  his  way  to  the 
rear  of  the  building,  where,  on  the  last  bench  there 
sat  an  humble  woman,  thinly  clad  in  a calico  dress. 
He  took  the  medal,  slipped  it  around  his  mother’s 
neck,  and  as  he  did  it,  said,  “Here,  mother,  this  is 
yours : take  it  and  wear  it;  had  it  not  been  for  you, 
I would  never  have  gotten  it ; take  it  and  wear  it  in 
token  of  the  gratitude  of  your  son.” 

As  the  preacher  used  these  last  words,  all  eyes 
in  the  great  Music  Hall  were  clouded  with  tears. 


6o 


FOURTH  DAY 


After  the  sermon  the  people  left  with  the  thought 
thus  expressed,  “Ah!  ’tis  great  to  make  one  nook 
of  God’s  creation  more  fruitful,  better,  more 
worthy  of  God ; to  make  some  human  heart  a little 
wiser,  nobler,  happier,  more  blessed.” 

There  may  be  few,  there  may  be  many,  who,  in 
one  way  or  another,  from  month  to  month,  and 
year  to  }^ear,  will  read  this  little  book,  brief  and 
imperfect  in  its  description  of  the  things  seen  at 
the  World’s  Fair.  It  goes  forth  on  its  mission, 
accompanied  with  the  prayer  that  some  good  in  the 
way  of  information  imparted,  and  truths  related, 
may  be  done  by  it,  and  that  its  sale  may  aid  in  a 
realization  of  the  hopes  of  those  who  have  on  foot 
a most  worthy  plan  for  the  material  improvement 
of  the  sanctuary  in  which  they  worship. 

The  writer  left  Chicago  at  half  after  2 o’clock, 
October  14,  1893,  rejoicing  that  he  had  had  the 
trip ; spent  Sunday  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and 
reached  his  home  in  Virginia  the  next  day  at  noon. 
The  four  days  spent  in  Chicago  will  ever  be  remem- 
bered as  days  of  much  pleasure  and  great  profit. 

May  the  recollection  of  them  never  grow  dim ! 


61 


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3 Z99A 
no . 3 


P26510 


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